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Casual Conversations About Love and Murder
SOME FRIENDSHIPS FADE. OURS WAS MURDERED.
What would you do if your best friend died? What if she'd betrayed you hours earlier?
Emma's nights are haunted by the twisted sight of her friend's body in Stone Lake. Others in the sleepy town of Camber slap an accident label on the death and call it a day. Emma can't. It hurts too much to leave it alone.
Proving the drowning was murder isn't easy. The sheriff stonewalls her, her friends want her to leave it alone, and her parents are too busy bickering to worry over much else.
Cole's mistrust for corporations and government hasn't made him many friends in town, but his willingness to believe Emma makes him her strongest ally. Together they'll dig into the town's past—and their own—to get to the truth.
Even if it brings more danger to their doorsteps.
What would you do if your best friend died? What if she'd betrayed you hours earlier?
Emma's nights are haunted by the twisted sight of her friend's body in Stone Lake. Others in the sleepy town of Camber slap an accident label on the death and call it a day. Emma can't. It hurts too much to leave it alone.
Proving the drowning was murder isn't easy. The sheriff stonewalls her, her friends want her to leave it alone, and her parents are too busy bickering to worry over much else.
Cole's mistrust for corporations and government hasn't made him many friends in town, but his willingness to believe Emma makes him her strongest ally. Together they'll dig into the town's past—and their own—to get to the truth.
Even if it brings more danger to their doorsteps.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Chelsea Mueller
8 books321 followersChelsea Mueller writes gritty contemporary fantasy and thrillers for adults and teens. She founded the speculative fiction website Vampire Book Club and blogs about TV and romance novels for numerous websites.
She loves bad cover songs, good fight scenes*, and every soapy YA drama Netflix can put in her queue. Chelsea lives in Texas, and has been known to say y’all.
For the latest updates, join her email list at ChelseaMueller.com or follow @ChelseaVBC on Twitter and Instagram.
* Need tips for writing dynamic and realistic fight scenes? Check out Chelsea's Write Like a Fighter blog series where she puts her martial arts background to use for fellow authors.
She loves bad cover songs, good fight scenes*, and every soapy YA drama Netflix can put in her queue. Chelsea lives in Texas, and has been known to say y’all.
For the latest updates, join her email list at ChelseaMueller.com or follow @ChelseaVBC on Twitter and Instagram.
* Need tips for writing dynamic and realistic fight scenes? Check out Chelsea's Write Like a Fighter blog series where she puts her martial arts background to use for fellow authors.
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January 20, 2022I can't wait to share this book with you guys on February 1, 2022.
It's the HEATHERS X VERONICA MARS book of my 🖤
It's the HEATHERS X VERONICA MARS book of my 🖤
December 30, 2021
I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
I was interested in reading this since contemporary YA is easily one of my favorite genres to read and I enjoyed what I read of Mueller's earlier Soul Charmer series. While the Soul Charmer series is by no means a masterpiece, it definitely intrigued me and convinced me that Mueller shows promise as an author. Unfortunately, this book was a major disappointment and, at least in my view, a step backward for Mueller as an author.
Nothing really worked for me in this book and it somehow managed to be both mind-numbingly slow and a quick read at the same time. I was never able to connect with Emma, the MC, and, as horrible as it sounds, I even found myself actively rooting against her for the majority of the book - wanting her to be proven wrong just to see her reaction. Throughout the book, she says and does things that others think is crazy and then complains that no one takes her seriously. Cole tells her she is smart but I never really saw any evidence of this. The fact that she solved the case had less to do with her own tenacity and intelligence but rather a rather large helping of luck and happy coincidence - knowing the right people who just so happen to have the exact skill set to accomplish a particular task to move the investigation forward. Then, too, Emma and Cole spend a good part of the book texting each other. The vast majority of the texts are written in complete sentences, utilize good English grammar, and even throw in a few 'fancy' words (e.g., 'proffer'). While some teens do text like this (I was one of the rare few, myself), I really couldn't envision either of these characters texting in this manner. Emma, in particular, is not particularly academically inclined so having her throw the word 'proffer' around in a text conversation felt jarring. It often read like an adult trying to impersonate a teenager and it took me out of the reading experience.
The ever-evolving nature of friendship is supposedly one of the major themes of this book, as Mueller explains in the acknowledgments. While that may have been the intent, the friendships throughout the story were thinly drawn. Many of Emma's female friends fade into the background early on and almost disappear completely once Cole, the love interest, enters the picture. The few times they pop up are to move the plot along by providing the MC with information to move the plot forward. Once they serve their purpose they disappear again for several dozen pages at a time. One 'good friend', Emma reflects on at the end of the novel really stumped me since they had only a handful of interactions throughout the book. I never saw any evidence of the two girls growing closer or forming a deeper understanding over the course of the novel.
Perhaps my biggest grievance, however, is just the utter lack of logic throughout the story. Emma would contemplate the need to interview someone and then proceed to not do so for 20 chapters thus drawing out the story needlessly. The police and the EMTs act bizarrely throughout . If I lived in this community, I would be concerned the police and the EMTs were the real criminals. Also, I never really understood the perpetrator. What was their ultimate goal? It all seemed rather flimsy and I was left feeling confused and unsatisfied by the conclusion.
I wish I could say something nice about this book. I really tried to find at least one redeeming quality that I could talk about. At the end of the day, all I can say is this book was definitely not for me. I feel like this story may work for a younger teen audience but will probably disappoint an older audience, like myself.
I was interested in reading this since contemporary YA is easily one of my favorite genres to read and I enjoyed what I read of Mueller's earlier Soul Charmer series. While the Soul Charmer series is by no means a masterpiece, it definitely intrigued me and convinced me that Mueller shows promise as an author. Unfortunately, this book was a major disappointment and, at least in my view, a step backward for Mueller as an author.
Nothing really worked for me in this book and it somehow managed to be both mind-numbingly slow and a quick read at the same time. I was never able to connect with Emma, the MC, and, as horrible as it sounds, I even found myself actively rooting against her for the majority of the book - wanting her to be proven wrong just to see her reaction. Throughout the book, she says and does things that others think is crazy and then complains that no one takes her seriously. Cole tells her she is smart but I never really saw any evidence of this. The fact that she solved the case had less to do with her own tenacity and intelligence but rather a rather large helping of luck and happy coincidence - knowing the right people who just so happen to have the exact skill set to accomplish a particular task to move the investigation forward. Then, too, Emma and Cole spend a good part of the book texting each other. The vast majority of the texts are written in complete sentences, utilize good English grammar, and even throw in a few 'fancy' words (e.g., 'proffer'). While some teens do text like this (I was one of the rare few, myself), I really couldn't envision either of these characters texting in this manner. Emma, in particular, is not particularly academically inclined so having her throw the word 'proffer' around in a text conversation felt jarring. It often read like an adult trying to impersonate a teenager and it took me out of the reading experience.
The ever-evolving nature of friendship is supposedly one of the major themes of this book, as Mueller explains in the acknowledgments. While that may have been the intent, the friendships throughout the story were thinly drawn. Many of Emma's female friends fade into the background early on and almost disappear completely once Cole, the love interest, enters the picture. The few times they pop up are to move the plot along by providing the MC with information to move the plot forward. Once they serve their purpose they disappear again for several dozen pages at a time. One 'good friend', Emma reflects on at the end of the novel really stumped me since they had only a handful of interactions throughout the book. I never saw any evidence of the two girls growing closer or forming a deeper understanding over the course of the novel.
Perhaps my biggest grievance, however, is just the utter lack of logic throughout the story. Emma would contemplate the need to interview someone and then proceed to not do so for 20 chapters thus drawing out the story needlessly. The police and the EMTs act bizarrely throughout . If I lived in this community, I would be concerned the police and the EMTs were the real criminals. Also, I never really understood the perpetrator. What was their ultimate goal? It all seemed rather flimsy and I was left feeling confused and unsatisfied by the conclusion.
I wish I could say something nice about this book. I really tried to find at least one redeeming quality that I could talk about. At the end of the day, all I can say is this book was definitely not for me. I feel like this story may work for a younger teen audience but will probably disappoint an older audience, like myself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2022
I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. These are all my honest opinions.
I was so excited when I got the mail from the author if I wanted to read her newest book, um excuse me, YES. I was already looking forward to it! So a big thank you to the author for letting me read the book!
In this book a party ends with death! But is it murder? Or is it something else? I just loved how Emma bit in it, not letting go. Even when people tell her that she should just stop digging. Stop thinking these thoughts. I loved how she went for it, first alone, later with help. She didn’t stop. I was rooting for her to figure out all the details, I hoped that she would find out!
I also love that there is the topic of grieving, however I wasn’t too happy with Emma at points. Everyone griefs differently. Some people are done in days. Others take weeks. And others, like you Emma, need so much more time. She had some comments on people’s way of grieving but all the while she did expect them to accept her way of grieving. It was just a tad odd.
The romance? I really enjoyed it. And was also glad it wasn’t instalove. Haha. These two had chemistry for sure and I was shipping them quite early on, it took them a bit before figuring out their feelings and getting close enough to get romantic. Romance in thrillers can be a bit hit/miss. It can work, but I have seen instances in which it was just too overpowering. However in this one? It was well done! Well written. I guess it also helped that Cole was helping Emma and also had his reasons for doing things. And that they weren’t overly in the romance mode. I loved that he was there for her when she had her moments, when things just got too heavy for her to carry. He was a great character.
I loved Maisey, she was such an amazing friend and I loved how she didn’t treat Emma like a weirdo for wanting justice. Instead she helped out, she talked with Emma, she listened. It was just great, a lot of times in books like this (YA Thriller) we see that friends shake their heads or think that the MC should just be normal. Kind of what happens with Emma’s dance squad friends. I was happy that Maisey was there for Emma. Despite her having a very full schedule (I really still don’t get the whole American High School thing and college essays and SATs and the likes) she was there.
I am sorry, while we do read some more on Becca, get to see a whole different one through the memories and see that things happened, I just couldn’t like her that much. The whole kissing your best friends crush just ruined her character for me, and as that is the only thing we see from her before she dies, I frankly couldn’t care about her that much. It just reminded me too much of something that happened in my past (only the guy was my boyfriend). So while I was happy that Emma was going after things and was determined to get justice, I frankly couldn’t care on the same level.
I am still not sure how I felt about the water angle. Haha, I mean it was just so strange. I am sorry, I have to be honest. But I was just scratching my head and my husband was also kind of weirded by it when I told him about how the WATER IS DEADLY HUNNY. XD Be warned of the big MEAN PHARMACEUTICAL! XD But eventually… when things get more exciting and the research becomes bigger and better and things got a bit clearer and we find out some big deets, I started to get a bit more interested in it. But I still had a feeling that there was much more to the whole thing. That it wasn’t just the water. That there was something else too. And I was right, and I was shocked. That someone would go that far. That someone would do this. Would plan and tinker. That is all I want to say because I don’t want to spoil anything.
I so love the cover. Already did when I first found out about this book but now after reading the cover is even more ominous. Love it!
Plus, I love the title~ It fits so well with the book!
The ending WOW what a rollercoaster!! A lot of things came together and all the last pieces of the puzzle clicked together and a certain phrase uttered by Emma’s mom earlier was suddenly very clear.
All in all, despite that I had a bit of a laugh at the water is deadly part and that I just wasn’t that into Becca and our MC may have gone a tad far at times, I still had so much fun reading this one and I read it in one go. There was a dash of romance, small town cops not caring, mystery, people dying, and also mourning and grieving.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was so excited when I got the mail from the author if I wanted to read her newest book, um excuse me, YES. I was already looking forward to it! So a big thank you to the author for letting me read the book!
In this book a party ends with death! But is it murder? Or is it something else? I just loved how Emma bit in it, not letting go. Even when people tell her that she should just stop digging. Stop thinking these thoughts. I loved how she went for it, first alone, later with help. She didn’t stop. I was rooting for her to figure out all the details, I hoped that she would find out!
I also love that there is the topic of grieving, however I wasn’t too happy with Emma at points. Everyone griefs differently. Some people are done in days. Others take weeks. And others, like you Emma, need so much more time. She had some comments on people’s way of grieving but all the while she did expect them to accept her way of grieving. It was just a tad odd.
The romance? I really enjoyed it. And was also glad it wasn’t instalove. Haha. These two had chemistry for sure and I was shipping them quite early on, it took them a bit before figuring out their feelings and getting close enough to get romantic. Romance in thrillers can be a bit hit/miss. It can work, but I have seen instances in which it was just too overpowering. However in this one? It was well done! Well written. I guess it also helped that Cole was helping Emma and also had his reasons for doing things. And that they weren’t overly in the romance mode. I loved that he was there for her when she had her moments, when things just got too heavy for her to carry. He was a great character.
I loved Maisey, she was such an amazing friend and I loved how she didn’t treat Emma like a weirdo for wanting justice. Instead she helped out, she talked with Emma, she listened. It was just great, a lot of times in books like this (YA Thriller) we see that friends shake their heads or think that the MC should just be normal. Kind of what happens with Emma’s dance squad friends. I was happy that Maisey was there for Emma. Despite her having a very full schedule (I really still don’t get the whole American High School thing and college essays and SATs and the likes) she was there.
I am sorry, while we do read some more on Becca, get to see a whole different one through the memories and see that things happened, I just couldn’t like her that much. The whole kissing your best friends crush just ruined her character for me, and as that is the only thing we see from her before she dies, I frankly couldn’t care about her that much. It just reminded me too much of something that happened in my past (only the guy was my boyfriend). So while I was happy that Emma was going after things and was determined to get justice, I frankly couldn’t care on the same level.
I am still not sure how I felt about the water angle. Haha, I mean it was just so strange. I am sorry, I have to be honest. But I was just scratching my head and my husband was also kind of weirded by it when I told him about how the WATER IS DEADLY HUNNY. XD Be warned of the big MEAN PHARMACEUTICAL! XD But eventually… when things get more exciting and the research becomes bigger and better and things got a bit clearer and we find out some big deets, I started to get a bit more interested in it. But I still had a feeling that there was much more to the whole thing. That it wasn’t just the water. That there was something else too. And I was right, and I was shocked. That someone would go that far. That someone would do this. Would plan and tinker. That is all I want to say because I don’t want to spoil anything.
I so love the cover. Already did when I first found out about this book but now after reading the cover is even more ominous. Love it!
Plus, I love the title~ It fits so well with the book!
The ending WOW what a rollercoaster!! A lot of things came together and all the last pieces of the puzzle clicked together and a certain phrase uttered by Emma’s mom earlier was suddenly very clear.
All in all, despite that I had a bit of a laugh at the water is deadly part and that I just wasn’t that into Becca and our MC may have gone a tad far at times, I still had so much fun reading this one and I read it in one go. There was a dash of romance, small town cops not caring, mystery, people dying, and also mourning and grieving.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 3, 2023
I really liked this book, but there were so many grammatical errors that it was obvious it wasn’t proofread. I was keeping track and lost count because of how many there were. The ending was also kind of unrealistic, but I really can’t complain too much because I enjoyed this book a whole ton. The romance subplot was perfect. Overall, a solid young adult triller! Would’ve been perfect if not for the errors.
September 12, 2025
"Casual Conversations About Love and Murder" by Chelsea Mueller was a great read. I enjoyed Emma and her not giving up on her friends murder. She felt like something was off, and with the help of Cole, they worked together to figure it out. Chelsea did an outstanding job with the characters and the mystery of this story. I think my favorite scene was when Emma and her friend, Maisey, went to a house "undercover."
December 14, 2021
I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
It really does have that Veronica Mars feel too it. That said it was really quick read, a little too quickly for me. Just felt like bam, bam, bam but you really did want to keep reading to find out the end. I was not expecting that ending, I was really hoping that it would turn out that the pharmaceutical company killed everyone, but that's just a personal wish. I do think that the new friendships should have been developed more but with it being YA that might just be how teen friendships are made. All in all it was a very entertaining book and I would read it again.
It really does have that Veronica Mars feel too it. That said it was really quick read, a little too quickly for me. Just felt like bam, bam, bam but you really did want to keep reading to find out the end. I was not expecting that ending, I was really hoping that it would turn out that the pharmaceutical company killed everyone, but that's just a personal wish. I do think that the new friendships should have been developed more but with it being YA that might just be how teen friendships are made. All in all it was a very entertaining book and I would read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2022
This book had lots of twists and turns that kept me second guessing who I thought was involved. Another great read
October 10, 2022
To quote my favorite podcast, “I’d give it zero stars if I could.”
January 28, 2024
For a short book, this took FOREVER to read. I really couldn't get into it until the last few chapters.
The book starts with three close friends on the dance team headed to a party by the lake. When one of those friends betrays another and then then ends up dead only minutes later with a sinister grin on her face, we find out she's not the first death and certainly won't be the last.
Emma is hurt due to Becca's betrayal, she's confused as to how she ended up dead in the water when she was an amazing swimmer, she's angry for being angry at her, and she just wants to know who did it and why. So quickly into her investigation, she meets Cole. The dark and broody type who's leading an investigation of his own. When the two team up they find many dark secrets in their town.
The water seems to be changing and people just keep dropping. Is it really the water like Cole suspects? The Big Pharma tainting the town with their chemicals? Or is there a muederer like Emma suspects?
What could have been a twisty tale really fell flat for me. The writing was very hard to read sometimes. I had to reread many sentences because the structure just wasn't right and there were so many missing words and grammatical errors that it had me incredibly frustrated.
I think this book could have been good but it was just okay. I liked the end, but I felt the whole water thing throughout the entire book could have been left out. The teenage emotions surrounding friendship and death were relatable though and very real. Those conversations were some of my favorite because I was able to really understand Emma and resonate with her.
You can try this book if you want something quick, but it's not something I'd recommend. There are better novels by this author out there that are worth more of your time.
The book starts with three close friends on the dance team headed to a party by the lake. When one of those friends betrays another and then then ends up dead only minutes later with a sinister grin on her face, we find out she's not the first death and certainly won't be the last.
Emma is hurt due to Becca's betrayal, she's confused as to how she ended up dead in the water when she was an amazing swimmer, she's angry for being angry at her, and she just wants to know who did it and why. So quickly into her investigation, she meets Cole. The dark and broody type who's leading an investigation of his own. When the two team up they find many dark secrets in their town.
The water seems to be changing and people just keep dropping. Is it really the water like Cole suspects? The Big Pharma tainting the town with their chemicals? Or is there a muederer like Emma suspects?
What could have been a twisty tale really fell flat for me. The writing was very hard to read sometimes. I had to reread many sentences because the structure just wasn't right and there were so many missing words and grammatical errors that it had me incredibly frustrated.
I think this book could have been good but it was just okay. I liked the end, but I felt the whole water thing throughout the entire book could have been left out. The teenage emotions surrounding friendship and death were relatable though and very real. Those conversations were some of my favorite because I was able to really understand Emma and resonate with her.
You can try this book if you want something quick, but it's not something I'd recommend. There are better novels by this author out there that are worth more of your time.
February 3, 2022
Her voice had softened to that patronizing tone I now recognized as the verbal equivalent of kid gloves. I was 17 and way beyond a gentle word fixing my problems. Kindness couldn’t cure grief any more than it could reverse death.
17 year old Emma Martin finds herself at the center of a murder investigation after the death of her best friend. The local police believe the death was simply an unfortunate accident. Accidental drownings at lake parties happen all the time, they repeat. Once closer than close, time and circumstances had drawn these friends apart in recent months, and it turns out that maybe Emma didn’t really know her friend that well after all. Though there is one thing she’s very certain of: this was no accident.
CASUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LOVE AND MURDER was pitched to me as Heathers meets Veronica Mars, and that description was completely spot on. Emma takes on the role of amateur sleuth as she digs in to her bestie’s death, and with the help of a new acquaintance they uncover information and secrets that may point to a problem larger than either can comprehend.
With plenty of twists, turns, and the occasional red herring, author Chelsea Mueller kept me guessing until the very end. This book takes some dark turns, obviously, as death and murder are at the forefront, but mentions of physical abuse is also present. Grief and trauma are heavy players in this book, as is the ever-changing nature of friendships, and I liked how Mueller handled each of those subjects.
Bottom line — murder mystery thriller that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the big reveal. 4 stars.
*Many thanks to the author for providing a copy for review.
December 18, 2021
As someone who grew up on Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine, I thought I was immune to the charms of a teen murder mystery thriller. I thought I had seen it all, but I was wrong. This book had all the hallmarks of a great YA thriller: high school angst, cute mysterious boys, parental drama, and a deadly mystery to be solved. What I LOVED about this book compared to others I've read is that the bad guy isn't just limited to your run of the mill stranger or ghost. There was intrigue with small town bureaucracy and big pharma, which read as a much more likely and upsetting villain than an actual murderer ever could.
June 5, 2022
I can’t round this 3.5 - star to a 4 because of all the typos. Now don’t me wrong, I can handle a few typos here and there, it happens. But when there are two every chapter and some places I can’t even understand the sentence and what it was supposed to say, that’s crossing the line.
That being said, this premise was super interesting, even though it felt a bit rushed at the end, I loved the whodunit and the teen crime solving and it was a fun read!
That being said, this premise was super interesting, even though it felt a bit rushed at the end, I loved the whodunit and the teen crime solving and it was a fun read!
May 1, 2023
I’ve never read a book written by an adult so poorly before. I felt like i was reading a cringey wattpad book. Also the ending was dumb cliche and totally predictable. Emma was insufferable the entire book, not to mention the characters were so 1 dimensional.
January 11, 2026
This book was a book club recommendation. I am not much of a YA reader but the premise of this story seemed interesting. Teenagers solving a murder? Parents not getting along? Drugs? High school and all that that means? Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with this story or the teenagers.
November 30, 2023
Needs a lot of editing
August 5, 2024
I won a copy of this book in a giveaway and just now got around to reading it. It was an enjoyable book and the mystery really grabs you. I also thought the romance was sweet. Solid book.
December 15, 2024
Pretty good. Got a little confusing at times but good read.
August 4, 2025
This book was very boring and had SO may misspellings/typos. very anticlimactic and I wouldn't recommend.
December 15, 2021
What a fun and fast paced read! This is definitely my favorite book by Chelsea Mueller! Such an original story with Veronica Mars and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder feels!
March 6, 2025
Very long read
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